Sarah Palin backs Rob Maness in Louisiana

Sarah Palin is wading into the Louisiana GOP Senate primary, endorsing retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness, who recently released a campaign video where he subdues an alligator.

“Rob is a true conservative — opposing amnesty, pledging to protect our Second Amendment rights, and promising to defund Obamacare,” Palin wrote in a Facebook post published Thursday announcing her support for Maness.

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Palin acknowledges Maness as the “admitted underdog” against Democratic incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu and Maness’ Republican primary opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy, who Palin doesn’t reference by name in the post.

Maness is seen in his new ad — which his campaign says will air on cable and online — riding an airboat before taping shut the mouth of an alligator.

“Here in Louisiana, you learn to be tough. One moment of weakness and the alligators can eat you alive,” he says. “So when I get to Washington, I’ll stand up to the big spenders, I’ll fight to repeal Obamacare and I’ll protect our gun rights.”

This isn’t the first candidate Palin has supported whose animal handling skills, the hopeful claimed, could be translated to Washington.

Palin in March backed state Sen. Joni Ernst in the Iowa Senate race. Ernst, in her own video, spoke about her experience castrating hogs.